Lexical Summary
makar: To sell, to betray
Original Word:מָכַר
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:makar
Pronunciation:mah-KAR
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-kar')
KJV: X at all, sell (away, -er, self)
NASB:sold, sell, sells, seller, certainly sell, destruction, make
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sell away,
A primitive root; to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender) -- X at all, sell (away, -er, self).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto sell
NASB Translationcertainly sell (1), destruction (1), make (1), merchants (1), offer yourselves for sale (1), sell (23), seller (3), selling (1), sells (8), sold (40).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id.; Phoenician ; Zinjirli
price, DHM
Sendsch. 60; Aramaic
,
marry (i.e.
buy as a wife); compare Assyrian
makkûru, namkur(r)u,
nakkuru,
possession,
property, Dl
HWB 408); —
PerfectLeviticus 27:20 2t.; suffixExodus 21:37 2t.; 1 singularIsaiah 50:1 2t., etc.;ImperfectExodus 21:7 +, etc.;ImperativeGenesis 25:31; feminine singular2 Kings 4:7;Infinitive absoluteDeuteronomy 14:21;Deuteronomy 21:14;constructNehemiah 10:32; suffixExodus 21:8;Amos 2:6;Nehemiah 13:15 (compare BaNB 104);Participle ()Leviticus 25:16 3t.; feminineNahum 3:4, etc.; — sell (withpret.Amos 2:6; Joel 4:3;Psalm 44:13) followed by accusative e.g. landGenesis 47:20,22 (J),Leviticus 25:14 (accusative of congnate meaning with verb),Leviticus 25:25 (H; followed by ) compareEzekiel 48:14 (followed by partitive),Leviticus 25:15 (no object expressed), soLeviticus 25:27;Leviticus 27:20 (H),Ruth 4:3; houseLeviticus 25:29 (H); beastExodus 21:35;Exodus 21:37 (E); fleshDeuteronomy 14:21 (no object); cropLeviticus 25:16 (H); foodNehemiah 10:32;Nehemiah 13:15,16, compareNehemiah 13:20 (followed by ); oil2 Kings 4:7; linenProverbs 31:24; birthrightGenesis 25:31,33 (J); most often human beings, e.g. as slavesGenesis 37:27,28,36;Genesis 45:4,5 (all J E),Exodus 21:16 (E),Deuteronomy 21:14 (twice in verse);Deuteronomy 24:7, compareAmos 2:6;Nehemiah 5:8;Zechariah 11:5; Joel 4:3; Joel 4:6; Joel 4:7; Joel 4:8 (twice in verse); especially daughtersExodus 21:7,8 (E); in marriageGenesis 31:15 (E);Participle =sellerIsaiah 24:2;Ezekiel 7:12,13; figurative, object truthProverbs 23:23; of Nineveh, selling nationsNahum 3:4; especially selling his people (to enemies), i.e. giving it entirely into their power:Deuteronomy 32:30;Psalm 44:13;Isaiah 50:1, also ( )Judges 2:14;Judges 3:8;Judges 4:2;Judges 10:7;1 Samuel 12:9; compareJudges 4:9 (Sisera to woman); alsoEzekiel 30:12 (strike out Co after B and others)
PerfectLeviticus 25:48 5t., etc.;ImperfectLeviticus 25:34 3t., etc.;InfinitiveLeviticus 25:50;Participle pluralNehemiah 5:8; —be sold, of landLeviticus 25:23,34; beastLeviticus 27:27; compareLeviticus 27:28 (all P); of human beings as slavesExodus 22:2 for () theft (E),Leviticus 25:42 (P),Psalm 105:17;Esther 7:4;sell oneselfLeviticus 25:39,47,48,50 (PH),Deuteronomy 15:12;Jeremiah 34:14;Nehemiah 5:8 (twice in verse); figurative of Israel,sold by ,Isaiah 50:1 for () their sins,Isaiah 52:3; compareEsther 7:4 =given over to death.
Perfect1 Kings 21:25; consecutiveDeuteronomy 28:68;2 Kings 17:17;Infinitive1 Kings 21:20;sell oneself as slaveDeuteronomy 28:68; figurative1 Kings 21:20,25;2 Kings 17:17, all followed by .
Topical Lexicon
Range and Pattern of UsageThe verb appears close to eighty times, spanning Genesis to Zechariah. It is applied to land, livestock, movable goods, persons, inheritances, and—most arrestingly—God’s own covenant people. The contexts fall naturally into several thematic clusters that highlight both ordinary commercial practice and profound spiritual realities.
Economic and Legal Context
1. Ordinary commerce
Goods are simply exchanged for value in verses such asGenesis 47:20, where “Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh.” The verb conveys routine market activity without moral overtones.
2. Sale of land and houses inside Israel
Leviticus 25 regulates the process: land may be sold (v. 14) but remains spiritually the Lord’s (v. 23), so every sale anticipates a possible kinsman-redeemer or Jubilee release. The same chapter extends the principle to urban houses (vv. 29-30) and even to the poor selling themselves (v. 39).
3. Slavery contracts within Israel
Exodus 21:7-8,Deuteronomy 15:12, andNehemiah 5:8 illustrate the sale of Hebrew servants. Mosaic law restricts and humanizes these sales, always tempering commerce with covenant identity.
Bondage and Slavery
1. Forced sale by brothers
Genesis 37 repeatedly uses the verb for Joseph: his brothers “sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver” (v. 28). Joseph later interprets the event theologically: “It was not you who sent me here, but God” (45:8).
2. Judicial selling of thieves
Exodus 22:3: “A thief must make restitution; if he has nothing, he must be sold for his theft.” Personal liberty can be lost through crime, underscoring the seriousness of sin’s debt.
3. National bondage
During the Judges era the Lord “sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim” (Judges 3:8; cf. 4:2, 10:7). The verb depicts covenant discipline: Yahweh hands His people over as if a divine creditor collects on unpaid fidelity.
Divine Judgement and Sovereignty
God himself is the primary Actor in many occurrences.
•Psalm 44:12: “You sell Your people for nothing; You make no profit from their sale.”
•Isaiah 50:1: “Behold, you were sold for your iniquities.”
•Isaiah 52:3: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.”
These statements frame national exile as a “sale” occasioned by sin, yet simultaneously highlight the gratuitous nature of future redemption.
Prophetic and Ethical Denunciations
The prophets attack commercialized oppression:
•Amos 2:6: “They sell the righteous for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals.”
•Joel 3:3, 6: The nations “have sold a boy for a prostitute and a girl for wine.”
•Zechariah 11:5: “Their own shepherds do not spare them.”
Such texts expose economic injustice as an assault on God’s image-bearers and warn that exploiters will themselves face divine recompense.
Covenantal and Familial Obligations
A unique nuance appears inRuth 4:3-4. Naomi “is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.” The legal possibility of purchase activates the kinsman-redeemer system and paves the way for Davidic—and ultimately Messianic—genealogy. What looks like an ordinary sale becomes redemptive infrastructure.
Redemptive Foreshadowing
The verb sets up anticipation of deliverance. Every sale inLeviticus 25 expects a redeemer; every divine “sale” of Israel promises an Exodus-type rescue. Joseph’s account prefigures suffering turned to salvation: “God sent me before you to preserve life” (Genesis 45:5). Thus the Old Testament use of מָכַר becomes a shadow that the New Testament substance fulfills: “You were bought at a price” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Messianic and Theological Implications
1. Typology of Joseph
Sold for silver, yet exalted to save many. The pattern anticipates Jesus, betrayed for silver (Matthew 26:15) and exalted for the salvation of the world.
2. Redemption language
Isaiah 52:3 (“redeemed without money”) signals that Messiah’s redemption will not be transacted in earthly currency but in His own blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).
3. Divine ownership
The recurring reminder that the land and the people are the Lord’s (Leviticus 25:23,Deuteronomy 32:6) culminates in Paul’s declaration, “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19).
Practical Ministry Applications
• Preach freedom from sin’s slavery: as Israel was “sold for iniquity,” so sinners are captive until Christ purchases them.
• Confront social injustice: prophets condemn those who “sell” the vulnerable; modern ministry should champion the oppressed and resist human trafficking.
• Encourage stewardship: land and possessions belong ultimately to God; believers are managers, not absolute owners.
• Cultivate hope: Divine “sales” are never final; the Lord delights in redeeming what seems lost.
The verb מָכַר, therefore, is more than a record of ancient market activity. It is a theological thread weaving together human commerce, divine judgment, and the glorious promise of redemption accomplished in Jesus Christ.
Forms and Transliterations
הִמָּ֣כְרוֹ הִתְמַכֵּ֔ר הִתְמַכֶּרְךָ֔ הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת הַמּוֹכֵ֗ר הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים המוכר המכרו המכרת הנמכרים התמכר התמכרך וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּ֨ם וְהַמּוֹכֵ֖ר וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ וְנִמְכְּרוּ־ וְנִמְכַּ֖ר וְנִמְכַּ֗ר וְנִמְכַּ֥ר וְנִמְכַּר־ וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵ֗ם וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵ֞ם וַֽיִּמְכְּרֵם֙ וַיִּֽתְמַכְּר֗וּ וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ וַיִּמְכְּרֵ֣ם וַיִּמְכֹּ֣ר וַיִּמְכֹּ֥ר וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וּמְכָר֑וֹ וּמְכָר֛וֹ וּמְכָר֥וּם וּמָ֨כְר֜וּ וּמָכַ֖ר וּמָכַרְתִּ֞י וּמָכַרְתִּ֥י וּמָכֹ֥ר וּמֹכְרִ֧ים וּמֹכְרֵ֧י וּמֹכְרֵיהֶ֣ן והמוכר והתמכרתם וימכר וימכרו וימכרם ויתמכרו ומכר ומכרו ומכרום ומכרי ומכריהן ומכרים ומכרתי ונמכר ונמכר־ ונמכרו־ ונמכרנו ותמכר יִמְכְּר֣וּ יִמְכָּר־ יִמְכֹּ֤ר יִמְכֹּ֥ר יִמָּכְר֖וּ יִמָּכֵ֑ר יִמָּכֵ֖ר יִמָּכֵ֣ר יִמָּכֵ֨ר ימכר ימכר־ ימכרו כַּמּוֹכֵ֔ר כמוכר לְמָכְרָ֖הּ לִמְכּ֔וֹר למכור למכרה מְכַרְתֶּ֖ם מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם מְכָר֑וֹ מְכָרָ֑נוּ מְכָרָ֔ם מִכְרִ֣י מִכְרָ֤ם מִכְרָ֥ה מִכְרָ֥ם מָֽכַר־ מָכְר֖וּ מָכְר֤וּ מָכְר֥וּ מָכְרָ֣ה מָכַ֥ר מָכַ֥רְתִּי מָכֹר֙ מֹכֵ֖ר מכר מכר־ מכרה מכרו מכרי מכרם מכרנו מכרתי מכרתם נִמְכַּ֔ר נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ נִמְכַּ֥ר נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֑ם נִמְכַּרְתֶּ֔ם נמכר נמכרנו נמכרתם תִּמְכְּר֥וּ תִּמְכֹּ֑ר תִּמְכֹּֽר־ תִמְכְּר֤וּ תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה תִמָּכֵר֙ תמכר תמכר־ תמכרו תמכרנה ham·mō·ḵe·reṯ ham·mō·w·ḵêr hammoCher hammoCheret hammōḵereṯ hammōwḵêr han·nim·kā·rîm hannimkaRim hannimkārîm him·mā·ḵə·rōw himMacherov himmāḵərōw hiṯ·mak·kêr hiṯ·mak·ker·ḵā hitmakKer hiṯmakkêr hitmakkerCha hiṯmakkerḵā kam·mō·w·ḵêr kammoCher kammōwḵêr lə·mā·ḵə·rāh lemacheRah ləmāḵərāh lim·kō·wr limKor limkōwr mā·ḵar mā·ḵar- mā·ḵar·tî mā·ḵə·rāh mā·ḵə·rū mā·ḵōr machar maCharti macheRah macheRu maChor māḵar māḵar- māḵartî māḵərāh māḵərū māḵōr mə·ḵā·rā·nū mə·ḵā·rām mə·ḵā·rōw mə·ḵar·tem mechaRam mechaRanu mechaRo mecharTem məḵārām məḵārānū məḵārōw məḵartem michRah michRam michRi miḵ·rāh miḵ·rām miḵ·rî miḵrāh miḵrām miḵrî mō·ḵêr moCher mōḵêr nim·kar nim·kar·nū nim·kar·tem nimkar nimKarnu nimkarnū nimkartem ṯim·kə·ren·nāh tim·kə·rū ṯim·kə·rū tim·kōr tim·kōr- ṯim·mā·ḵêr timkeRennah ṯimkərennāh timkeRu timkərū ṯimkərū timkor timkōr timkōr- timmaCher ṯimmāḵêr ū·mā·ḵar ū·mā·ḵar·tî ū·mā·ḵə·rū ū·mā·ḵōr ū·mə·ḵā·rōw ū·mə·ḵā·rūm ū·mō·ḵə·rê ū·mō·ḵə·rê·hen ū·mō·ḵə·rîm umaChar umacharTi uMacheRu umaChor ūmāḵar ūmāḵartî ūmāḵərū ūmāḵōr umechaRo umechaRum ūməḵārōw ūməḵārūm umocheRei umochereiHen umocheRim ūmōḵərê ūmōḵərêhen ūmōḵərîm vaiyimkeRem vaiyimkeRu vaiyimKor vaiyitmakkeRu vattimKor vehammoCher vehitmakkarTem venimKar venimkeRennu venimkeru wat·tim·kōr wattimkōr way·yim·kə·rêm way·yim·kə·rū way·yim·kōr way·yiṯ·mak·kə·rū wayyimkərêm wayyimkərū wayyimkōr wayyiṯmakkərū wə·ham·mō·w·ḵêr wə·hiṯ·mak·kar·tem wə·nim·kar wə·nim·kar- wə·nim·kə·ren·nū wə·nim·kə·rū- wəhammōwḵêr wəhiṯmakkartem wənimkar wənimkar- wənimkərennū wənimkərū- yim·kār- yim·kə·rū yim·kōr yim·mā·ḵə·rū yim·mā·ḵêr yimkār- yimkeRu yimkərū yimKor yimkōr yimmaCher yimmacheRu yimmāḵêr yimmāḵərū
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